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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — a hint
  13. net — in sport
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. club — a group
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. club — for golf
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com